


The Cursed Couple

by aitanitaa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Female Player Character (Hogwarts Mystery), First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Mutual Pining, My First AO3 Post, My First Work in This Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 16:30:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19872631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aitanitaa/pseuds/aitanitaa
Summary: "Watch out, Alicia!"Suddenly, I look in front of me and bump into someone’s back, and a broad one, too. I close my eyes and rub my nose."Wow, Alicia! You should be more careful, is your nose... oh."I look up and I meet two caramel brown eyes looking down at me, a slight blush adorning his freckled cheeks. Charlie Weasley.





	The Cursed Couple

"C’mon, Alicia, wake up! We are late for our Care of Magical Creatures lesson!"

I furrow my brow as Rowan’s voice pierces through my head. Why is she talking so loud?  
And then I process what she said.

"Crap! Did I fall asleep while studying History of Magic? I’m not going to pass Professor Binns’ exam at this rate."

As I try to sit up on the sofa, I bring my hand to my forehead and narrow my eyes. Were the lights in the Slytherin Common Room always this bright? I feel like the world is spinning around me.

"Easy, Alicia! Are you sure you are okay to go? You’ve been very busy with your search for the Cursed Vaults, and you’ve been studying very hard these past two weeks. I know our O.W.L.s are getting close, but you are doing extra work on both tasks and I don’t want you t-"

"Rowan," I say as I pick my things up quickly, "we’ve had this conversation before and I’m not saying it again. I’m fine, it’s just that I’m a bit tired from everything, that’s all. In fact, we should be running to our class, and I’m going to get there before you do!"

I gather all the strength that I have left in me to run our of the castle while Rowan shouts how this wasn’t fair in the first place. I try to not let the sunset light bother me while we run downhill to our Care of Magical Creatures Lesson. The wind ruffles my hair and messes it. I forgot to tie it up like I always do because of this stupid dizziness.

Once we reach the place where the class is held, everyone is already there. I keep running a little bit more as I turn my head to Rowan to claim my victory.

"See? I’m doing fine, I got here before you..."

"Watch out, Alicia!"

Suddenly, I look in front of me and bump into someone’s back, and a broad one, too. I close my eyes and rub my nose.

"Wow, Alicia! You should be more careful, is your nose... oh."

I look up and I meet two caramel brown eyes looking down at me, a slight blush adorning his freckled cheeks. Charlie Weasley.

"Sorry, Charlie, she’s not feeling her best today."

"Rowan! I told you I’m completely fine, don’t lie to him!," actually, I don’t want him worrying for me. It’s already too much that I ended up collapsing with him.

"You...your hair...I..., wait, are you okay?"

I look down as I play with the ends of my hair. Is something wrong with it being loose? Maybe he doesn’t like it and that’s why he pointed it out. I look away as I curse myself for being so clumsy and forgetting to tie up my hair.

"Alicia, I’m glad you decided to join us today! I hope you're interested in Knarls because today's class is going to be focused in these little creatures.," Kettleburn’s excited voice reaches my ears and I walk to the front of the class, evading Charlie’s question.  
I sit next to Barnaby and Liz while drawing a really tiny Knarl that poses for the three of us in a really cute way. I regret my choice a few moments later as I notice that the pair are eyeing one another as if they were the only humans in the world. We all know they like each other, but it seems that they are really oblivious about it. I supress my urge to make them kiss in the middle of the class and turn my gaze to the sketchbook. Rowan sits at my other side while giving me a knowing glance, I roll my eyes at the situation and she laughs. I try to do my best through the rest of the class while ignoring the headache and the glances that Charlie gives me from the opposite side of the ground, although there are plenty of moments where I feel like I'm not there, like I'm still studying for my O.W.L.s or searching for clues to find my brother.

"...Alicia, Alicia! Your friend Rowan said you weren't feeling okay, is that why you’ve been spacing out the whole class? You know you can go to the infirmary without telling me, right?," Kettleburn looked at me with worried eyes. The last thing I want now is a teacher worrying about me. I don't want Rakepick knowing about this, who knows what she'll say?

"Don't worry, I'm just tired from studying too much, that's all."

"If you say so... Why don't you come here and show us how to properly feed a Knarl? It seems like this little one has taken a liking to you."

The tiny Knarl that we drew earlier squeaks and seems to smile as well. Everyone is looking at me even though this is not going to be complicated at all. I know they are studying hard and focusing on their own problems, maybe that's why it seems like they are looking intensely at me when, in reality, they are just spacing out. But lately, people have started rumours again, we thought that the whole "you're cursed!" thing was over, but it's seems that people have been saying that again. This time, I understand my situation better than before, and maybe it's true that I am cursed. I've lost hope on finding my brother, every quest that I find myself doing is harder than the previous one, the obstacles are getting bigger. Maybe Rowan was right, maybe I'm so stressed that every little thing affects me in a negative way these days...

I get up from the stump I was sitting on but I get dizzy as soon as my head is above everyone else's . I trip immediately and fall on the ground, with no strength to get up.

"Alicia!," Rowan and Barnaby come to my help while my other friends stand up from the places they were sitting on.

"Oh, did the cursed girl just fall? Are you okay, you poor little thing? Serves you right, Averyan!," this time it's not Merula's voice that I hear, which weirds me out a bit; it's a Gryffindor boy whose face I don't recognize, so I assume he is one of the many students that have been saying things about me since we got here five years ago, "You've slacked off for five years! While you were searching for that stupid brother of yours, some of us were studying hard for our exams! It isn't fair that we've been dedicating or strength and time to our studies while the teachers praised you for being your brother's sister! Face it, your brother is either dead or a Death Eater, it runs in Slytherins' blood anyway!"

Everyone is looking either at me or at the Gryffindor boy, whose face is red from anger. There are a couple of students that seem to agree with the speech that he's just given, and they aren't giving me the nicest glares, to be honest. It’s true that my friends are here, that they are coming next to me to support me, but all I can focus in is the faces of those who don’t like me. I can feel every limb of my body trembling, I feel like I’m about to vomit, all the memories from these past five years are coming back to me and they make me feel like I’m a failure. Maybe he’s right, maybe Jacob is no longer between us, maybe he has become evil...  
"Well, that was unfortunate Mr. Johnson! I’m sure you wouldn’t mind paying a visit to your lovely Head of House, Professor McGonagall. We’ll see if you truly are a Gryffindor, brave enough to tell her all that you said here to Miss Averyan."

I would be surprised of Kettleburn’s change of character if it weren’t for the tears running down my cheeks and the feeling that everyone here hates me. I manage to release my arms from Barnaby and Rowan’s grip and start running back to the castle, back to my Common Room, back to my bed, where no one can hear me or see me.

"Alicia, please, wait!," Rowan’s voice reaches my ears just before I see a red-haired boy running faster than me in the same direction the Gryffindor boy went before.

What is Charlie doing? Is he mad at me as well? Does he hate me too?

Suddenly, everything goes black and I can feel my body hit the hard ground. The last thing I hear is Rowan’s voice crying out my name.

(...)

"I’m just saying that this wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for my stupid N.E.W.T.s! I’m a Head Boy, Penny. I should have taken control of this situation," I can hear a familiar voice somewhere around me, but it takes me some time to realize whose voice it is.

"Don’t be so hard on yourself, Bill. It’s only natural that you were immersed in your studies, you’ve been putting a lot of effort into your exams. N.E.W.T.s are very important and I’ve heard from Alicia how bad you want to be a Curse-Breaker and how hard it is to actually become one."

"I know! My studies are really important to me, I want to be successful for the sake of my future, but I feel like I’ve forgotten my duties as a Head Boy for the past few weeks. If only I had payed more attention to what the younger students were saying..."

I feel a bit dizzy, but nothing compared to what I felt before passing out. I try to open my eyes twice, as the first time I have to close them again because of the brightness on the infirmary. I manage to sit up awkwardly, and Penny takes notice of it.

"Alicia! It’s great to see that you can move, but you should still lay down. You still have a fever.," she says, as she touches my forehead with the back of her hand.

I don’t want to lay down again, so she brings a big pillow from a cabinet next to the door and places it behind my back so I can lean on it. She smiles and looks back and forth between Bill and me, letting me know that it's the time for us to talk. She waves us goodbye and leaves the infirmary.

Bill is sitting at my left, his hair is all messed up and he has bags under his eyes. It’s no surprise for me, after all, he’s been studying alone for weeks. I haven’t seen him lately and I’ve missed him a lot.

"Hey."

"Hey, Alicia."

His voice is low and he is looking down. He seems really upset. 

"This is not your fault, Bill. You’ve been working hard for your future, you are not to blame that some students have been saying I am cursed. It’s the same old thing all over again, isn’t it?," I try to smile, knowing that he will see right through me. He always does.

"Alicia, I’m not the only one who has been stressing out for the past few weeks, I can tell by looking at you. I know very well that you've been working hard on your studies and the search of your brother. I haven’t been there for you like before, I am to blame. I hate seeing you like this and I hate that I couldn’t do anything about it. I feel like a complete arse, I haven’t been treating you like I did before, like you deserve. I know I’ve been distant and cold, and I'm truly sorry, because I really think of you as a little sister and that was definitely not the way to treat someone I think of as family. So let me feel guilty about this, please."

I can't recall a time when Bill has been this flustered. He looks like he is about to cry, his eyes have never looked so blue. It's the first time he's locked his gaze on me for weeks.

Suddenly, I throw myself at him, seeking comfort like a little child. My head is pressed against his chest and his arms are securing me in his embrace, one hand stroking my hair, making me feel more at ease. The truth is I also think of him as my brother. Maybe I felt like this in my earlier years because Jacob wasn't there, but now I know that he is not Jacob's replacement. He is like a second brother to me.

It feels like I've taken a load off my mind. I realize that Bill has not been mad at me, he had his mind on other things, that's all. Knowing this has affected him as well makes me feel strangely calm.

"Thanks for always being there for me , Bill."

I sit up again and smile when I see him standing up with a grin on his face.

"You should rest a bit, it's only been an hour since the inci-"

"Was it necessary, Mr. Weasley? He was already going to get detention after being scolded, you didn't need to provoke him like that!," Bill stops talking once he hears McGonagall's voice filling the infirmary. His eyes are waiting for said "Mr. Weasley" to appear in front of us, "Poppy, could you come here, please? Charles Weasley has been punched in the face by another Gryffindor student."

Madam Pomfrey stops in front of my bed as McGonagall and Charlie do the same. I shoot a panicked glance at him, sitting straight once he stops before us.

"I guess it's clear from the cuts on his lip and left brow, not to mention the remains of blood on his nose. William, did you really mean it when you said ALL your brothers where angels?," Madame Pomfrey looks at Bill with disappointment as he tries to avert her gaze.

"Anyway, what happened, Charlie? You are not one to get in this kind of trouble. Besides, you are a Prefect! You should know better than this. Mum is going to be pissed if she finds out tha-"

"William, your brother didn't use violence against the other student, he got punched in the face because of his words."

"His words?," Bill frowns and tries to understand what McGonagall has just said. I wrinkle my nose and wait for a reply.

Charlie tries to look away embarrassed, but Madam Pomfrey takes the back of his head with her hand and forces him to look at her. Bill chuckles and McGonagall tries to hide a little smile.

I don't get it. Isn't he going to say why he got punched in the face? Could it be that he doesn't want to say it because of me? After all, he did run past me looking very angry before I passed out. Maybe he shares that Gryffindor guy’s opinion about me...

"Well, I think it's time for these fifth years to rest. Minerva, Mr. Weasley, if you will.," Madam Pomfrey gestures Professor McGonagall and Bill away as she cleanses Charlie's eyebrow.

"Wait, am I staying here? I can't! We have Quidditch practice today! And tomorrow’s a big day! We play against Ravenclaw, we can't miss any more practices! They need me, I'm their captain! Who’s go-"

"Mr. Weasley, I think the team can go without you for a day, after all, you picked the players, didn't you? Besides, you are just staying for a while. Perhaps you would like to stay the night, like Miss Averyan?"

Charlie shakes his head and his brother laughs at his eagerness.

"So I have to stay the night? But I'm already okay! Please, let me go to my Common Room, I'm sure Rowan will take good care of me..."

Bill raises an eyebrow at me and I squirm under his serious stare.

"Alicia, Mr. Weasley is not the only one here worried about you. Poppy knows this is the best option, so please, stay the night and rest some more.," McGonagall looks at me and gives me a preoccupied smile.

I nod as Bill and McGonagall go away. Madam Pomfrey takes Charlie to another bed, and all I hear before I drift away is Pomfrey's voice complaining about the upcoming Weasley brothers.

(...)

It's pitch black, I'm running through the castle and someone is following me. I stumble across a door. The door. There's nothing special about this door, it looks just like the other ones, but it feels different. I know it's different. It's the door I've been looking for.

I quickly open it and catch a glimpse of a green light somewhere inside the dark room. I know he is here, I've been waiting so long for this moment to happen.

Suddenly, I hear various screams from inside the room. I need to get around some big bookshelves to get to the source of the screams.

Once I get there, I see my friends laying on the floor, a big pool of blood is forming under each one of them. I fall to my knees and shout as loud as I can as I try to erase from my mind the scene happening before me. Rowan, Ben, Penny, Tonks, Barnaby, Bill... None of my friends are missing this time. This can't be happening, they can't be dead! 

"You don't need them, Alicia! The only ones you need are the Dark Lord and me. Haven't you missed your older brother?," I look up and gasp as Jacob offers a hand to me. 

He looks taller and paler, he seems stronger than before but almost as if his life has been sucked away from him. I've finally found him, he's here with me, but not in the way I wanted him to be. He's just killed my friends but I still can't register it. The Dark Lord? Has he really become a Death Eater?

"C'mon! If you come with me, you will be able to pay back everyone that has ever hurt you."

"Why did you do this? Why have you been turned into...this?"

"I haven't been turned into anything, Alicia.," he gives me a quizzical look and smirks at the corpses laying on the ground, "It seems that you haven't changed, my sweet innocent little sister. I needed to kill them, they've been no good to you, leading you through the wrong path... Soon, every teacher or student that has ever been disrespectful to us will vanish! Wouldn't you like that? Everyone that thinks we are cursed will be dead! And it's all thanks to the Dark Lord, Alicia. So come with us!"

This can't be real. I try to turn around on my knees and get away from here as fast as I can, but I collapse with someone and clumsily fall to the ground again. It must be the person that was following me before I got here. A black and red Hogwarts robe is the only thing I can see under this light.

"See? I told you he was rather dead or a Death Eater! You Slytherins are disgusting, all the same!," the Gryffindor boy laughs at me, but his enjoyment doesn't last long.

A green light sprouts from Jacob's wand as his lips spit the words Avada Kedavra. The way he says them lets me know that this isn't the first time he's killed people. He has used them plenty of times before. His grin is almost grotesque, deforming his face in a way I never thought I would see.

"This isn't real, it can't be real! Stop this nonsense, Jacob! Please!," he laughs as I try to get up to escape this madness. I want to scream as loud as I can, I need to get out of here!

"...cia...Alicia...Alicia!," someone shakes my body ever so gently and I slowly start to come back to my senses.

It was a nightmare.

I sit up on my bed and narrow my eyes as the moonlight hits them. When I look at my left, I see Charlie gazing at me with deep concern in his eyes. His hands are holding my shoulders tightly. They are really warm.

"What are you doing here? I thought you weren't staying the night. Did something happen? Did you get worse?"

"I..well, I didn't want to leave you alone, if I'm honest. I had a hunch something would happen, and I guess I was right.," he nervously scratches the back of his neck as he looks at the ground. He's sitting in a chair next to my bed.

"You don't need to stay here because of me. I can manage this, after all, it's my fault that I'm in this state. You already heard your fellow Gryffindor, and I'm sure you share his theory as well. I've slacked off for so long that when I actually do something I pass out. I'm pathetic, I know."

I get out of bed and stretch my arms and legs while walking to the big windows in front of my bed. I feel like I'm about to cry, and I don't want him to see me cry for a second time today.

Even though it's raining outside, the starry sky can still be seen through the dark big clouds that cover Hogwarts. I wonder if Jacob ever looks at the sky like I do, like we did when I was little. We enjoyed laying in our garden at night, when mum and dad were sleeping and we couldn't stay still in our beds. He knew every single constellation that could be seen from our spot, he sometimes made up new ones just to tease me.

One, two, and three tears slip out of my eyes and run quickly through my cheeks. I raise my hand to wipe them off my face, but a hand larger than mine does what I intended to do before I can. Surprised, I take a step back and trip with a box full of blankets. I wait for my back to hit the hard floor again, but that moment never comes.

Charlie has his right hand on my waist and his left hand around my wrist. He helps me get up but his hands stay where he put them to catch me. We have never been this close before, and now I can clearly see all the freckles that spread across his face. I knew his eyes were caramel brown, but I had never seen all the shades of brown that swirl in them. The cuts in his lip and brow are healing properly, but when I see them I can't help but give him a concerned look. We are so close that I can distinctly notice his scent and it's driving me crazy. He smells like grass, wood, and honeysuckle, it's a really fresh smell.

Suddenly, I realize our position and he seems to do it too. We separate from each other but not much: it seems like he wants to remain close as he wants to say something.

"I don't share a thing that guy said in Care of Magical Creatures, you know? It doesn't matter that we are house mates, he shouldn't have said any of that. It was awful and he had no right to say all that crap," he looks out the window with a stern face and then back at me; "Please, tell me you didn't believe any of that".

I look down and hear him curse under his breath.

"I got this cuts because I defended you. I caught him in front of McGonagall's office and set the record straight. You are, if not the most, one of the most hard working witches in Hogwarts, Alicia. The fact that you work really hard on your studies, search for the Cursed Vaults and your brother, and keep up with all your friends proves it! You have not been slacking off and teachers treat us the same way, he's just jealous that you get better marks than him while doing all the stuff you have to do," he gently grabs my chin with one hand while the other one cups my cheek, making me look at him straight in his eyes.

I try to concentrate on the information he’s given me in a few seconds. He got injured because of me?

"Charlie! What did you do? You didn’t need to talk him out of this, it’s me who should take the blame," my hands reach out for the cuts in his face.

"What is there for you to take the blame, Alicia? If you should take the blame for being a thoughtful student and friend, then yes, you are absolutely guilty of that! But it’s not your fault! If you could just accept our help and rely more on us..."

"Wouldn’t you mind that? Wouldn’t it... wouldn’t I be a burden for you?"

Thinking about relying on them that much makes me feel really dependable on them, and I don’t want to bother my friends. They are already risking their lives for me when they decide to come with me in my search for the Cursed Vaults and whatever obstacles we may bump into, I don’t need for them to take care of my problems as if they were my babysitters! I don’t want them to think of me as a burden, I can take care of myself.  
Then again, the only ones I have are my friends. Since Jacob went missing, mum and dad have been giving me the cold shoulder. You think they would be protecting their only child left, but it’s been the opposite for me these past years.

"A burden? Alicia, are you hearing what you’re saying?," Charlie shakes his head and looks firmly into my eyes, "Rowan doesn’t mind taking care of you when you are lost in your thoughts or resting your eyes for a moment. Bill is really upset about not being there for you these past few weeks, you know he thinks of you as his little sister. Penny enjoys your study sessions because she makes sure that you are studying and fills you in on whatever gossip you are missing. Tulip and Tonks are always excited for the pranks and schemes that only you three can pull off, and the rest of us are thankful that you’re with them because, among the three of you, you’re the one that has more common sense. Ben relies on you a lot, and because of you his confidence has built up a lot in these five years. The list goes on and on, Alicia. And I..."

Charlie is about to say something when the sound of footsteps outside the infirmary makes us separate and head for our beds. Before I get to my bed, his hand takes my shoulder and turns me around.

"Come to the match tomorrow, please?," he whispers.

I nod and smile at him before getting in our beds and pretending we don’t hear Filch entering the infirmary because his cat heard us talking. I am grateful for everything Charlie has told me tonight, I feel like I owe and apology to all of my friends for not letting them help me when I needed it but rejected them. I really love them for standing up for me and putting up with me.

(...)

"Please, Madame Pomfrey, Alicia is a strong girl, I’m sure she’s okay by now! It’s just a Quidditch game!"

Rowan’s voice sounds closer as I wake from the weird dreams I’ve been having since I went back to bed last night. And I think she’s not alone.

"Girls, she is still sleeping! It’s clear as a bell that she needs to rest the whole day, she won’t be attending the game and that’s it," I slowly open my eyes and see Madame Pomfrey leaving a glass of water on the table next to my bed, "Miss Averyan! Take it easy, are you feeling alright?"

She helps me sit in bed supporting my back with a pillow and touches my forehead to check my temperature.

"It seems like your fever has gone down over the night. Are you feeling dizzy?"

I shake my head and look at my friends. Rowan, Penny, Tonks, and Liz are surrounding my bed and smiling at me.

"Merlin’s beard, Alicia, you’re alright!," Tonks throws herself at me and gives me a really tight hug, "I like pranks but don’t ever scare us like that again!"

"Thanks, Tonks. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be studying? Also, were are the Badeea and Tulip? And the guys?"

"Easy there, Alicia. Those are a lot of questions at once," Liz laughs at my sudden preoccupation, "Don’t you remember? Today’s the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. The guys are saving us the best seats they can find, and Badeea and Tulip are trying to cheer up Andre, he said he was really looking forward to you watching him beat Charlie’s team."

"We want you to come watch it with us," Penny sits at the end of my bed and smiles at me.

"There’s also someone else interested in you watching it…," Tonks wiggles her eyebrows and smiles suggestively.

"Tonks, not now!," Rowan scolds her and all the girls start to laugh.

"Anyway, we were arguing with Madame Pomfrey because she thinks you still need to rest. See? She’s fine! Can she come with us, please?," Penny tries to put on her best puppy face.

"I’ve already told you, this girl needs to get the biggest amount of rest possi-"

"Poppy, I think you should let the girls take her down to watch the game," suddenly, Professor Dumbledore enters the infirmary. His presence scares Madame Pomfrey for a moment, "A bit of Quidditch never hurt nobody, at least not the ones who were watching it, right girls?"

Professor Dumbledore smiles at them and looks at me. He winks an eye at me and I can’t help but let a smile spread across my face.

"Such an easy man you are, Albus!," Madame Pomfrey shakes her head and puts her hands on her waist, "Fine, I guess you can go. You can take some fresh air anyway, but make sure to stay away from those furious Bludgers! I don’t want you coming back with a broken arm or something worse".

The girls start to celebrate their victory as I get out of my bed and thanks Professor Dumbledore with a subtle bow. He smiles and disappears. We don’t stay in the infirmary for too long. As we head out, I remember Charlie’s words last night.

It seemed really important for me to go, I’m glad Professor Dumbledore convinced Madame Pomfrey. 

"How much time until the match starts?"

"We’ve probably have 45 minutes left or so, why?," Penny looks at me.

"You girls get going, I want to take a shower and change my clothes."

"Are you going to be alright?," Rowan grabs my by the arm and looks at my with concern, "If you want, I can go with you."

"Don’t worry, Rowan. I’ll be alright this time. See you there!," I wave them goodbye as I head to the Slytherin Common Room. I’m really looking forward to the match. If I’m honest with my feelings... I guess I’m eager to see him again.

(...)

I run out of my Common Room to the Quidditch pitch, I think I’ve spent more time than I should have on the shower, but it has refreshed me and I feel even better than before.

Once I get out of the castle, the soft breeze hits my face. This time, I’ve tied my hair like I always do. I don’t want to see Charlie getting upset about it again, and I like it better this way.  
I arrive to the first stands of the pitch and see my friends talking excitedly about the game that we’re about to see. They managed to get really great seats: we’re practically going to be playing the game ourselves!. They are wearing either something red or something blue, depending on who they’re cheering for, but it’s great to see that the colours are mixed and not divided in two sections, like the rest of the students in the stands. That’s why I love our group so much.

Bill notices me and waves at me, I smile and head there.

"Alicia! We thought you would miss it!," Bill hugs me as I settle in between him and Rowan.

"How could I miss this? We all know how important this match is, I’m sure Andre will show that brother of yours how much he’s worth," I grin at Bill and he laughs.

"Well, well...Here we thought you would be cheering Charlie," Tulip and Tonks raise their eyebrows at me.

"Why would you think that?"

"Doesn’t matter, I’m glad you decided to team up with us Ravenclaws this time, Alicia Averyan," Tulip says.

"Just one question," Penny raises her voice behind me and I turn around to look at her, she’s wearing a red scarf around her neck, it’s clear who she’s supporting today, "Why did you tie up your hair today? It actually looks beautiful when you let it hang loose."

"Uh, well, I think it looks sort of weird if it’s loose, don’t you think? And, um, Charlie seemed to think the same thing yesterday when I bumped into him," this sentence comes out like a whisper, but everyone hears it and starts giggling right away.

"Are you serious? You two sure are more oblivious than Barnaby and Liz!," Jae seems to be enjoying the situation as he starts laughing way harder than before.

"What about us?," Barnaby talks and looks quizzically at Liz.

She shrugs and gives him a smile, only to turn around after it so he can’t see her blushing. It seems like someone is not so oblivious anymore.

Instead of focusing on Barnaby and Liz’s awkwardness, everyone is either looking at me with knowing looks on their faces or giggling.

"C’mon, guys! Why is this so funny to you?," I start to get nervous because no one explains the situation to me. Have I said something that funny?

"Oh, Alicia, I didn’t believe Tulip and Tonks when they told me you didn’t know how to flirt or how to take hints, but it seems like it’s true. You may be the best dueller in Hogwarts, but let me teach you a lesson about love," Diego puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it a bit while everyone around us sighs, "Did Charlie blush when you bumped into him yesterday? Did he mention your hair?"

"Well, yes, he did. Maybe it looked weird and he pointed it out or some-"

"Wrong! It didn’t look wrong, it looked different, and it seems like our redhead boy liked it a lot," Diego reaches for my hair tie and carefully unwraps it from my hair, letting my hair fall down my shoulders, "Well, it’s nothing new, really. He does like you a lot."  
Everyone is staring at me and I don’t know what to do or think now.

Charlie likes me? Charlie Weasley likes me? The Gryffindor Quidditch Team’s captain and dragon-lover boy likes me, Alicia Averyan? Oh no, this can’t be happening! He must be crazy if he likes someone like me, I’m no good compared to him. If what Diego says is true, what does he like about me? I’m truly cursed, there’s nothing good about me for him to like!

Bill seems to read what’s going through my mind and makes me sit next to him as he announces to everyone that the match is about to start. I look up at him and try to smile, thanking him for what he just did.

The Ravenclaw players come out to the pitch and everyone wearing blue in the stands roars their team name and cheers as loud as they can. The scenery surrounding me is a sea of blue and red. Even though our exams are near, I think no one is missing this match. Even Talbott is behind me, sitting next to Badeea. Everyone must be excited to see who’s the best Quidditch captain in Hogwarts.

"Hey! Andre’s looking at us!," Tulip shouts.

I follow her pointing finger and see Andre waving at us. Once he sees me, a wide grin spreads across his face, and I can tell from here that his mood changes the minute he spots me. I give him a thumbs up and start clapping like the rest of the students.

A mass of red players enters the pitch and a deafening noise fills the place. Gryffindor players arrive and everyone goes crazy. I’ve never seen Ben being this loud before, Tonks and Penny are hugging him and the three of them are jumping up and down. I can’t help but laugh at the sight of them being so carefree. If only we could be like this more times...

The cheers surrounding me get stronger as a certain redhead waves to the crowd. He seems really serious about this, he isn’t smiling like he usually does.

Suddenly, our gazes meet and I can’t help but blush. He looks really handsome in his Quidditch robes, they emphasize his broad shoulders and fit him very well. Once I realize I’ve been staring a bit too much at him, I look at his face and realize that he’s blushing as well.

Was Diego telling the truth? Could he really...?

He nods in my direction, puts on his stern expression again, and shouts something to his team, making them shout as well.

The two teams position themselves and, even though I can’t really hear a thing, I see that Andre is saying something to Charlie, which makes the redhead laugh and answer with something that gets the same reaction from the other captain.

And then it all starts in the blink of an eye. Madame Hooch blows her whistle and all the players are in the air, zooming from one place to another while passing the balls or hitting them. Charlie, however, stands still and above the members of his team to try and catch a glimpse of the Golden Snitch. He really seems concentrated.

I suck at Quidditch, quite honestly. I like to watch others play, and I wish I could understand it better than I do, so watching others play it makes me admire them for the dedication it takes to actually succeed. That’s the feeling that I get when I see Andre trying to stop any Quaffle from entering the hoops, or when I see Charlie furrowing his brow because he can’t spot the Snitch. This is serious for them because it’s one of the things they like the most.  
The match goes on and on and I try to keep up with everything that’s going on above us. Thankfully, I’ve got Bill on my side who explains me whatever I don’t understand, but whenever Tulip hears that any answer he gives me is in favour of Gryffindor, she quickly raises up her voice and explains to me what really happened.

“And I’m telling you, Weasley, that was not a foul! You Gryffindors may be the bravest, but you sure play the victim perfectly,” Tulip winks at me and I laugh.

“Yeah? You Ravenclaws study every manual so you can give out excuses for anything! That was clearly a foul, Tulip!”

“Guys, stop! Look at Charlie, I think he’s found it!,” Ben points above us at the redhead, but his finger doesn’t stop moving and neither does Charlie. He’s really fast! No wonder everyone thinks he’s the best Seeker Gryffindor and Hogwarts have had in the past years.

The other seeker has spotted the Golden Snitch as well and tries to go after it. They’re both pretty close to it, and, for a whole minute, you can tell that everyone is holding their breaths. Suddenly, a Ravenclaw Beater crashes, unintentionally, with Charlie.

I get closer to the railing and hold it firmly, my knuckles getting white from the strength.

I can hear Bill and Tulip arguing about that being a foul, but I don’t listen to them as I follow every move Charlie makes to try to recover his previous balance.

It must be his lucky day, because the Snitch takes another route, closer to where Charlie is now. He takes advantage of his position and goes after the ball faster than before. He stands on his broom and throws himself forward to catch it. He takes it and holds it tightly in his hand, but falls off his broom because of the movement. A hand catches him before he falls on the pitch floor: Andre helps him get up on his broom and gives him a smile. Gryffindor wins.

The students in the stands go crazy, they roar Charlie’s name as if it was Gryffindor’s anthem. I even catch a glimpse on a very excited Professor McGonagall and a really sulky Professor Flitwick. He sees me staring and I give him and apologetic smile, letting him know I supported his team from the very beginning.

Bill is jumping up and down like crazy while Penny and Tonks lift Ben up in the air. I can tell that he’s excited, but not enough to be flying without a broom. I can’t help but smile at the scene.

“That is my brother! He’s always been so great at Quidditch, I knew he wouldn’t let us down today!”

“Bill, stop it with the compliments! We already know he’s your brother. Merlin’s beard, even if we didn’t know you we’d know!,” Tulip is clearly irritated with the outcome of the match. I sit down next to her and put my hand on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

“Don’t worry, Alicia Averyan. I’m already thinking about the perfect prank for the Head Boy,” her lips curve in a mischievous smile and I laugh.

“May I help you with that?”

“You know I’m always glad to have your help,” she pats my shoulder, “Besides, I don’t think I’ll have Tonks on my side for this one.”

“Hey! The players are heading towards the dressing rooms, why don’t we go there?,” Penny suggests, as she helps Tonks lower Ben on the ground. He looks dizzy.

We exit the stands and go straight to the dressing rooms through the pitch.

“Are you coming with us?”

On my right side, Penny, Tonks, Bill, Ben, Jae, and Diego are pointing towards the dressing rooms in which the Gryffindor players are celebrating their victory.

Bill raises an eyebrow at me as Penny and Tonks give me knowing glances.

Of course they’d want me going with them! They just want to laugh at the awkward situation that is going to be meeting Charlie after what they told me before the match started. I definitely want to avoid that.

I turn to my left side and see Tulip, Barnaby, Liz, Badeea, Talbott, and Rowan heading to Ravenclaw’s dressing room. I’m sure Andre’s not feeling well on the inside, even though he conceals his feelings very well.

“Sorry, guys. I think I’ll cheer Andre up, after all, I was on Ravenclaw’s side in this match.”

I better avoid meeting Charlie now, I don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of him again. I’ll deal with this later.

We reach Ravenclaw’s dressing rooms and, unlike Gryffindor, the players are not celebrating anything at all. Andre is finishing a speech about them working really hard for this and not giving up, as there are more upcoming matches.

He spots us and walks onwards.

“Hey, thanks for cheering on the team today. We appreciate all the support we can get. I specially enjoy you being there for us today, Alicia.”

I hug Andre, trying to let him know that he can rely on me anytime he wants.

“I’m still trying to understand a lot of things about Quidditch, Andre. You should thank very much all of our friends who supported your team through this whole season.”

Everyone smiles at him and gives him words of encouragement. I even see him blushing a little when Tulip thanks him for his hard work.

“Wait!,” Andre looks at me with scrutinizing eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest, “why aren’t you celebrating with Gryffindor? I thought you would want to see the captain,” A smirk appears on his face as he leans on the nearest locker.

“I, uh, I was supporting your team! It was only fair to come here,” I can feel my friends' gazes on me, and a fiery red shade tainting my cheeks.

“Sure, curse-breaker. Whatever you say.”

(...) 

The library was open 24 hours these days since exams for 5th and 7th year students were getting pretty close. I came here straight from Ravenclaw’s dressing rooms to try to get some studying done.

There are not many students here, neither Talbott nor Rowan accompanied me on this one. They both took this day off and have been waiting for it for weeks. It surprises me Rowan took our advice on resting a bit from time to time.

I can’t tell how many hours I’ve been here, but I don’t think I can’t keep studying History of Magic anymore. I gather my things and exit the library, trying not to disturb the few students that are studying and the ones that fell asleep.

As I open the door, a cool breeze makes me shiver. I touch my cheeks, liking the contrast between the cold air and my warm skin. I look up at the starry sky and decide to head to the dungeons. I better go to sleep before Filch starts roaming the castle. I like cats, but Mrs. Norris is not my cup of tea.

As soon as I get round the next corner, I am welcomed with a very affectionate pair of Slytherins. It can’t be...

“Alicia! Where were you? We have been searching for you all night,” Barnaby smiles at me.

“Well, not necessarily us...,” Liz looks up at him while she gets closer to him, if possible. I look down at them and see that their hands are intertwined.

“Well, um, I was studying at the library. Who was looking for me, anyway?”

“Everyone! You see, all of our friends have crashed Gryffindor’s celebration party. Even our Ravenclaw friends! Everyone wanted to congratulate Charlie. We thought we’d see you there, but...”

“Oh, I guess I’ll pass on that. I’m really tired, I’ll celebrate with them some other time,” I fiddle with my hands as I look down.

“C’mon, Alicia! You are totally avoiding meeting Charlie,” Liz raises an eyebrow.

I want to say I’m not, but I would be lying to them and to me.

“Your silence isn’t denying it, so I’ll take that as a yes. Alicia, think about what could happen if you go up there to meet him! You may end up like us,” Barnaby smiles down at Liz in a very sweet way.

“It’s bold of you to assume that he likes me or that we’ll end up like you. Merlin’s beard, how can it be that the two most oblivious people when it comes to love are telling me what to do?”

They both laugh and pat one of my shoulders each.

“Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it, Alicia. Well, we are going to our Common Room. Have fun!”

They take the way I was going before I met them. I watch them as they disappear in the darkness of the night. I can only catch glimpses of them walking close to one another when the moonlight shines on them.

They seem really happy about it, and it doesn’t seem weird that they’re acting this way. It’s as if they’ve been doing this since we met them.

What if Charlie does like me? I still can’t believe it, but if he does, would we act as natural as Barnaby and Liz? Would it be as easy as it seems?

As I think about all the possibilities, I find myself involuntarily heading to the Gryffindor Tower.

How am I going to get inside, anyway? This is ridiculous.

I try to get there by going through the most unused hallways, so that I don’t get caught, and once I reach the portrait of the Fat Lady, I see Charlie talking with a Hufflepuff girl I don’t know. I have seen her a couple of times talking with him about dragons in our Care of Magical Creatures lessons, and I remember Penny mentioning something about her having a crush on him.

So this was stupid from the start. I don’t really want to talk with him right now, nor with any of our friends.

I try to turn around as quietly as possible so that neither of the pair hears me, but it seems that Peeves has other plans for me. He’s right in front of me, blocking the way to the dungeons.

“Oh, no. Not you.”

“What is it that you are trying to escape or avoid? Does Averyan have something that she isn’t good at?,” he snoops at Charlie and the Hufflepuff girl and turns to look at me. A wide grin is plastered on his face. I don’t like where this is going, “SOMEONE IS SPYING ON THESE TWO LOVEBIRDS! Wait, I didn’t specify. How silly of me! ALICIA AVERYAN IS SPYING ON THESE TWO LOVEBIRDS!”

He blows a raspberry at me and disappears while laughing at the chaos he’s created. He really gets on my nerves sometimes.

I return to the spot where Charlie and the girl can see me and find them throwing weird glances in my direction. I look down at the floor as I fiddle with the end of my robes’ sleeves.

He says goodbye to the Hufflepuff girl and she walks past me in silence. I look up to see where Charlie is and startle when I see him getting closer to me.

“I wasn’t snooping on you, I swear! You know how Peeves can be sometimes, a real arse. I was just... Barnaby and Liz... Well, I was told that all of our friends were celebrating the great outcome of your Quidditch match and I thought it would be rude if I didn’t stop by and say something. I’m sorry if I ruined something going on between you two, it wasn’t my intention. I was just heading this way and-”

Suddenly, my stomach growls loudly and a deep blush creeps on my face. Why does everything have to happen to me?

Charlie laughs softly at the situation and I cover my face in embarrassment.

“Wait here. I’ll grab you something to eat from the party and then we can go somewhere less... busy, so that we can talk. Besides, Peeves shouting has probably alerted Filch that something’s going on here,” I slowly uncover my face and he smiles sweetly at me before going inside his Common Room.  
He wants us to talk somewhere more private? After what I just saw? I seriously don’t know where this is going. I really did wish for him to not say anything to me once the Hufflepuff girl went away.

He steps out of Gryffindor’s Common Room faster than I thought, and he’s carrying a piece of treacle tart. I start to salivate once I see it, and Charlie seems to notice it as he laughs at me.

“C’mon, let’s go somewhere quieter,” he takes my hand in his and I can’t help but notice the size difference in our hands. His are bigger than mine, and a bit more calloused. Mine are smaller than his, and have some cuts and little scars scattered all over them.

We run, swiftly and quietly, to the Courtyard. We sit by the fountain and his hand leaves mine when he gives me the plate with the treacle tart. We aren’t sitting as close as I’d like, if I’m honest. I miss the warmth of his hand.

“I’m sorry this is all I could get. People ate like pigs in there.”

“Don’t worry, it’s enough that you grabbed something for me. It’s actually one of my favourite desserts.”

I enjoy my piece of treacle tart in silence as he looks up at the starry sky. His brown eyes get even more beautiful when they are hit by the moonlight and I can’t help but stare at him. I wish I could run a finger through his cheeks so that I could match his freckles. I don’t realize it until he coughs, but he’s caught me staring.

Once I finish, I put the empty plate behind us so that it doesn’t break in any kind of accident.

“Congratulations on your match, you were spectacular, Charlie.”

“Oh, Alicia, there’s no need to say it. Besides, I haven’t been perfect at it, I could have played better,” he scratches the back of his neck and smiles at me.

“I’m no good at Quidditch, but I can identify a great player when I watch it. I admire you for putting so much passion into it, I could clearly see that you enjoy playing Quidditch.”

“Wow, um, thank you very much. It’s something that I enjoy because I chose to do it and I have a lot of fun. Before every match I remember the matches that me and my siblings play at home during summer. That’s where I truly learned how to play,” I like it when he talks about his family, he really loves them, “You should see Ginny, she’s still so little yet such a great player. I hope she will be in Gryffindor’s team once she studies here.”

“It sounds great when you talk about your family. You must really care for them,” I can’t help but wish I had something like that. “My mother never really let us have brooms when we were younger, I wish I could have played with Jacob when I had the chance to...Sorry! Didn’t mean to ruin our chat...”

He gets closer to me and takes my hand in his, making circles with his thumb on it.

“It’s okay, Alicia. I don’t really know much about your family, you can talk to me about it if you want to.”

I look up at him and he nods at me, letting me know he’s not going to interrupt me. I never really talk about what life is like at home, but I trust Charlie. Besides, he deserves to know. I’m already an expert on his family.  
“Well, there’s no much to tell. Mum and dad are not caring type and they were almost never home, so we had to grow up faster than the other kids. You know, Death Eater duties and all that stuff,” I sense his hand tensing once I mention my parents’ occupation, “Don’t worry, I made it clear to them that I wasn’t going to follow their lead. Jacob and I spent enough time in his friends’ houses to learn and understand that what our parents were doing was and is wrong. We’re lucky they didn’t oblige us into it, as it happens in other families. Well, at least I’m not one at the moment. As for Jacob...”

“Alicia, don’t ever think for a second that Jacob has gone bad. If he had such strong beliefs, I hardly think he could leave them behind, as well as his little sister,” his jaw is clenched and his eyes are firmly looking at mine, but he relaxes them once he pronounces the next sentence, “I can’t wait for you to meet my family. Mum said she would care better for you. Bill told her it sounded selfish and mean to your parents, but I think the same way. And you telling me about it confirms my thoughts.”

A blush appears in my cheeks as Charlie speaks. They talk about me at home? I thought Mrs. Weasley would hate me since I involve her children in dangerous situations. Not only does she not hate me, but she also thinks she would take better care of me? I think I’m starting to get dizzy.

He seems to catch on the situation and a blush taints his freckled cheeks as well. This is very awkward. I move my hands up to fiddle up with my hair and realize that I haven’t styled it as usual, I’ve left it loose from when Diego untied it. This couldn’t get worse.

I sigh heavily and cover my face with both my hands. I can’t take this anymore.

“It’s getting late, I should go to my Common Room and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow I’m waking up early to catch up with my studies. Good night, Charlie,” his gaze follows me as I stand up and head for the Courtyard door.

“Wait!,” suddenly, he stands up as well and catches my wrist with his hand, turning me around to face him. He has the most worried look I’ve ever seen on his face, “Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry if I said something that bothered you, I didn’t mean to-”

“Charlie, you did nothing wrong-”

“Did I make you feel overwhelmed because of what my mother and I think? I’m sorry, I’m such an arse, Alicia. I really don’t want to mess up when it comes to you, I like you a lot and I think you should be treated in a better way, both at home and Hogwarts. And now I’m just rambling and I...,” he seems to realize what he’s said and he abruptly stops talking, “There I go again, making you uncomfortable. If you don’t like me back, it’s perfectly fine. I just felt like getting that out of my chest,” his hand flies to the back of his neck and he looks down at his feet.

Charlie Weasley likes me.

Gryffindor’s Quidditch captain.

Charlie Weasley, the dragon-lover boy. Charlie Weasley, the sweetest, most caring boy Hogwarts has ever seen. Charlie Weasley, the redhead who’s taller than me, who has a broad back, a sharp jawline, and bigger and more calloused hands than mine. Charlie Weasley, the boy who exceeds at Care of Magical Creatures.

I need to stop gushing all over him and get a grip because he’s now looking at me with a preoccupied look in his brown sparkly eyes, and I don’t think I can take it anymore.  
“...you like me?”

He nods and lifts his hand to caress my cheek and put a strand of loose hair behind my ear. I feel my neck getting hotter as my blush deepens. I can’t stop looking between his eyes and his lips, he’s driving me crazy! His hand falls down and I’m already missing his warm touch.

“I noticed you are letting your hair loose more often. It, um, it fits you really well, Alicia.”

I take a few strands of it between my fingers and fiddle with it.

“This? It’s just plain old hair, you know. Nothing special about it, yours is... yours is way better”, I look up to him and sigh, letting him know my answer to his confession, “I fancy you too, Charlie.”

He steps closer, if possible, and holds my waist with his other hand. I love that he smells like fresh-cut grass, old wood, and honeysuckles. I put my hands on his chest and stand on my tiptoes, looking at him through my eyelashes.Our lips are brushing now, but he softly makes the first move and places his on top of mine.

The kiss is short and soft, but once he steps back to look at me, he kisses me again in a more passionate way. One of his hands stands on my waist, but the other moves upwards to hold my cheek. My right hand is holding him close by the back and the left one is still on his chest. I can’t believe we’re finally doing this.

We step back to catch our breaths, but he never lets go of my waist. He places his forehead on top of mine, our noses touching. I can’t help but lose myself in his eyes.

“Merlin’s beard, Alicia. You’re going to kill me one of these days.”

“At least your mum won’t be mad, since it’s me who’ll do it,”, I mischievously smile at him and he laughs, taking my hands in his.

“Does this mean we’re a couple or am I misreading the situation?,” he stares deeply and seriously at me.

“Do you really want us to be one? I’d love to, don’t get me wrong, but people are going to pester us about it. Remember? I’m the cursed witch, I’ll ruin your reputation.”

Charlie rolls his eyes and grabs my by the shoulders.

“I don’t care about what people will say about us, and neither should you. But hey, if my reputation does end up ruined, I’d rather it would be by the cursed witch. That way we could become the cursed couple! Wouldn’t it be great?”

“Charlie!,” I laugh and punch his shoulder softly.

“The cursed couple it is, then. Let’s seal it with a kiss, shall we?”

And so we, the cursed couple, do.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey people!
> 
> Thanks for reading my first fanfiction in the HPHM Fandom! I know my english is not the best, but I'm working on it because I'm really keen on writing in this language. I hope I'll get better at it! If you want to help me improve my english by pointing out mistakes in my works, I'll be glad to learn about what you have to say :)
> 
> I want to write more stories like this, so I'm sure if you liked this one, you'll be able to enjoy more fanfics in the future!
> 
> Once again, thanks for reading! <3


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